Patents by Inventor Alexander P. Niemeyer

Alexander P. Niemeyer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11689834
    Abstract: A portable electronic device can include a housing defining an aperture and a display positioned in the aperture. The display and the housing can define an internal volume and a speaker assembly can be positioned in the internal volume. The speaker assembly can include a speaker enclosure sealed to the housing within the internal volume, the speaker enclosure and the housing defining a speaker volume, and a speaker module in fluid communication with the speaker volume, the speaker module including a diaphragm positioned at an aperture defined by the speaker volume, the diaphragm defining multiple ridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Carli E. Oster, Colden N. Eldridge, Russell K. Williams, David Garrido Lopez, Forhad Hasnat, Alexander P. Niemeyer, Brandon Z. Frank, Melody L. Kuna, Matthew J. Wilander, Jordi A. Garcia Selva, Stuart M. Nevill, Carlo Catalano
  • Publication number: 20210314685
    Abstract: A portable electronic device can include a housing defining an aperture and a display positioned in the aperture. The display and the housing can define an internal volume and a speaker assembly can be positioned in the internal volume. The speaker assembly can include a speaker enclosure sealed to the housing within the internal volume, the speaker enclosure and the housing defining a speaker volume, and a speaker module in fluid communication with the speaker volume, the speaker module including a diaphragm positioned at an aperture defined by the speaker volume, the diaphragm defining multiple ridges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Carli E. Oster, Colden N. Eldridge, Russell K. Williams, David Garrido Lopez, Forhad Hasnat, Alexander P. Niemeyer, Brandon Z. Frank, Melody L. Kuna, Matthew J. Wilander, Jordi A. Garcia Selva, Stuart M. Nevill, Carlo Catalano
  • Patent number: 10645521
    Abstract: A portable electronic device includes several speakers spaced apart from one another on opposite sides of the device. An audio processor attenuates high frequency portions of a first audio signal and a second audio signal to provide a processed first audio signal and a processed second audio signal. An audio router directs the first audio signal to only a first speaker on a first side of the device, and directs the second audio signal to only a second speaker on a second side of the device. The audio signals may be directed according to an orientation of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan J. Mihelich, Tomlinson Holman, Alexander P. Niemeyer, Timothy E. Sandrik
  • Publication number: 20180249278
    Abstract: A portable electronic device includes several speakers spaced apart from one another on opposite sides of the device. An audio processor attenuates high frequency portions of a first audio signal and a second audio signal to provide a processed first audio signal and a processed second audio signal. An audio router directs the first audio signal to only a first speaker on a first side of the device, and directs the second audio signal to only a second speaker on a second side of the device. The audio signals may be directed according to an orientation of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Ryan J. Mihelich, Tomlinson Holman, Alexander P. Niemeyer, Timothy E. Sandrik
  • Patent number: 9949057
    Abstract: A portable electronic device includes at least four speakers spaced apart from one another. An audio processor attenuates a high frequency portion of a left audio signal and a right audio signal to provide a processed left audio signal and a processed right audio signal. An audio router directs the left audio signal to only a first speaker, the right audio signal to only a second speaker, the processed left audio signal to a third speaker, and the processed right audio signal to a fourth speaker. The audio signals may be directed according to the orientation of the device. The cutoff frequency for attenuating the high frequency portion of the audio signals may be responsive to the orientation of the device. In other embodiments, the high frequency portion of the audio signals may be decorrelated to produce signals with high frequency portions for all speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ryan J. Mihelich, Tomlinson Holman, Alexander P. Niemeyer, Timothy E. Sandrik
  • Publication number: 20170070839
    Abstract: A portable electronic device includes at least four speakers spaced apart from one another. An audio processor attenuates a high frequency portion of a left audio signal and a right audio signal to provide a processed left audio signal and a processed right audio signal. An audio router directs the left audio signal to only a first speaker, the right audio signal to only a second speaker, the processed left audio signal to a third speaker, and the processed right audio signal to a fourth speaker. The audio signals may be directed according to the orientation of the device. The cutoff frequency for attenuating the high frequency portion of the audio signals may be responsive to the orientation of the device. In other embodiments, the high frequency portion of the audio signals may be decorrelated to produce signals with high frequency portions for all speakers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Ryan J. Mihelich, Tomlinson Holman, Alexander P. Niemeyer, Timothy E. Sandrik